Japan's Buffalo Taps Espial to Power New Hybrid Set-Top Box

Espial, the Canadian DTV software company which last year acquired US IPTV and VOD technology provider, Kasenna (note: the deal valued Kasenna, which had raised $90 million in funding since its launch in 2000, at around $6.5 million), will announce today that Japan's Buffalo, Inc. has licensed its Evo Client middleware for its recently launched LT-H90DTV hybrid set-top box, and is also using its support, development and integration services. According to Espial, the new set-top supports reception of linear-TV channels from satellite and terrestrial signals and will also shortly support a range of video-on-demand and interactive TV services over IP, using open industry standards. It already supports the sharing of videos, pictures and audio media between PC's and television sets, using the DLNA standards, Espial says.

According to Espial and Buffalo, the LT-H90DTV is now widely available in retail electronics stores across Japan, and the companies say that they are collaborating to broaden its distribution channels in that market. Like many other countries, Japan is transitioning from analog to digital TV (its regulatory deadline for analog switch-off is 2011): its TV signals are broadcast free over-the-air via two satellite services and a digital terrestrial service--all of which adhere to the Association of Radio Industries and Business (ARIB) digital video broadcasting standard. In order to comply with Japanese regulatory requirements, digital set-tops must support up to three broadcast tuners, each with its unique channel line-up, and integrate with ARIB-based software stacks. According to Espial, the architecture and applications of Evo Client "provide the potential" of unified broadcast and on-demand services, as well as an excellent quality of experience. "Buffalo's decision to use Evo Client attests to the capability, flexibility and strength of our client middleware to meet Japan's digital and IPTV market requirements," Yukio Kanemori, Espial's director of sales for Japan, said in a prepared statement. "It is a privilege for Espial to work with Buffalo to deliver a leading digital TV product to Japanese consumers." Added Buffalo's Hajime Nakai: "We selected Evo Client for rich set of applications, high-performance architecture, and open interfaces. This simplified integration with our set-top box and supports the extensive requirements for a hybrid IP, satellite and terrestrial set-top box. Espial and Buffalo will continue to co-operate in the global market partnering to provide a more complete solution to broader channels in the global digital and IPTV market."

Espial bills Evo Client as a small-footprint set-top box middleware platform that provides a high-performance user experience for IPTV and hybrid set-top boxes. According to the company, it comes bundled with an advanced suite of applications, including an EPG, a high-definition user interface, VOD and DVR support, a portal, TV-based caller ID, a Web browser and radio-on-the-TV. It provides a standards-based authoring environment for creating customized user interfaces and interactive TV applications, Espial says, and is easily ported across set-top boxes. Its porting tool is billed as allowing operators to maintain an identical user experience and application set across different set-top models and brands.